When it comes to gastronomical atrocities, it seems bangers and mash and sauerkraut are more poorly regarded than poutine and peameal bacon. TheHuffington Post has published the results of an ongoing Titanic Awards survey that names the top nine countries with the worst national cuisine. Much to our delight, the survey of over 2,000 people from more than 80 countries didn’t name Canada among the worst offenders.

Great Britain, with almost 25 per cent of the vote, took the top (bottom?) spot for its high-carb potato jubilations. The United States came in second, with 10 per cent, for its packaged and deep-fried pseudo-foods. The rest of the list is rounded out by China (3.8 per cent), Russia (3 per cent), Germany (2.7 per cent), Australia (2.2 per cent), Ireland (1.9 per cent), Philippines (1.8 per cent) and the Netherlands (1.7 per cent).

The poll is ongoing, so take a look at some of the other picks and voice your contentions in the 2010 survey.

6 thoughts on “Canada escapes the haters’ list of the world’s worst food”

Huffpo is wrong again! Man, they’ve gone down hill since they joined the veal pen *clap harder so tinkerbell will live!!* crowd. I don’t know if Canada belonged on that list but, China most certainly does not. Utterly invalidates the rest of their list. China has some of the most incredible dining experiences and food in the world. Canada on the other hand really has a ways to go still to catch up. It’s better than it used to be as is GB but, not there yet. Toronto is no New Orleans or even New York or Beijing ……..yet.

Huffpo continues to discredit themselves nearly everyday over the last two years or so. Bought and paid for. Sad indeed. Go to Fire Dog Lake for news…you won’t find any of these sorts of articles but, you also won’t find any bought and paid for W.H. fluffers either.

And for god’s sakes don’t pay attention to this list. Go to China and experience the wonderful food! Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, and all points in between have something to offer. Fantastic seafood to be had in Fujian Province too!

What is wrong with the voters of Huffington Post? China?! CHINA?! I mean I can not think of any country with more diverse cuisine, how can they hate ALL of it?!?! Have they never had the pleasure that is eating a PEKING DUCK?!?!

British cuisine always gets such a bashing. The problem is with the hospitality industry here, not so much the food. Pubs that are part of large chains serve crap food, poor versions of what are often great when home-made. Yes, we specialise in ‘stodgy’ but warming food…the bangers and mash above is great autumn / winter food. Good soups and casseroles are delicious and I think a strong point of British cuisine. However, being something of a cultural melting pot, I do think some of our very best cuisine is that that was imported from India / Pakistan. What is the nation’s current favourite meal? Not fish and chips…chicken tikka masala overtook this old favourite some years ago. In short, there aren’t really any “English” restaurants in England. You will find versions of traditional dishes in many pubs, but usually done badly, unless the pub is known to specialise in food and actually has a chef rather than a guy who throws pre-prepared meals into a microwave. The ‘gastro-pubs’ as they are known aren’t exactly cheap though. Long story short, traditional British food good, hospitality industry crap at making and presenting it. The best way to see traditional grub at its best is to stay with somebody’s grandmother in the UK. Freshly cooked tasty food with a good balance of meat, veg and carbs.

I think we need to bear in mind that the people contributing to the survey won’t have lived and eaten as a real Brit does. Real Brits these days will, in the course of a week, typically cook and eat a pasta dish, a simple curry with rice, a chilli con carne, a chinese style stir fry with noodles, something vegetarian (even for none veggies)..and occasionally, something that might be considered typically British, like a shepherd’s pie. There was a lengthy period of decline in the standard of British food, which began with wartime rationing, which continued for nearly 10 years after the end of the war. Most of my friends (also Brits) hardly eat any red meat. My point is that your typical Brit’s standard weekly menu doesn’t read; fish and chips, steak and kidney pie, sausages and mashed potatoes, roast beef for sunday lunch. As for previous comments on this article, there are a lot of processed foods around, which are generally very cheap when compared to fresh produce. Until the prices we pay here for fresh vegetables and decent meat and fish go down, people will continue to take the processed food option. For a lot of people, it is a no-brainer to decide between spending 10 pounds on fresh meat and vegetables to make a meal for a family of 4 when they can spend half that amount on frozen chips (fries) and cheap sausages or burgers that are more filler than meat. Sad but true. It has always annoyed me that we are an island nation, yet the price of fish and seafood is so high here, especially as I love it! And I agree with another comment above, the best British food nowadays is often the stuff that immigrants have brought with them and incorporated into our national menu. Indian food rocks. More and more Polish restaurants are cropping up, and i’ve recently been snacking at an Afro-Carribean food stand at a local market. But hell, sometimes the high carb ‘unhealthy’ traditional Brit stuff like fish and chips and bangers and mash is the perfect comforting thing to eat on a cold and rainy day, of which we have more than our fair share.